Sourcing Viola riviniana seeds and viola palustris seed of wild SW provenances

[Amy]

Does anyone know of a supplier of dog and marsh violet seeds of wild SW provenance please?

I want to encourage fritillary butterflies.

I have some dog violet growing wild along my streamsides already, but I want a lot more and I am daunted by the prospect of checking every day to collect ripened seed from scattered plants - in amongst the brambles! - a ready-collected seed packet would be so much easier.

I have found some V. riviniana seeds from Plant World who say it comes from their own meadow, - whether they have genuine wild and local provenance, I have yet to find out. I am a little reluctant to introduce commercially grown seed into the wild (I mean - my woodside/streamside fields) Your views?

Neither Goren nor Emorsgate have any of either viola. My contact at DWT doesn't know. Habitat Aid pointed me to Heritage Seeds which I think are in the North.

No one seems to stock wild origin Marsh Violet. I have seen a little growing wild on Knowstone Moors and Rackenford Moors, which are nearby, and I would dearly love to introduce some into my peaty bog area, but I doubt that I should collect seeds from the Moors. I have seen marsh violet plants advertised on commercial pond plant nursery websites - but again - should this be released into the fields? Your views please?
Many thanks.

[Tracey Hamston]

Hi Amy
Some years ago I collected a lot of V. riv seed and propagated violet plug plants for a fritillary project.
It is slightly fiddly as you need to collect the pods at the right stage. However, I found it was very satisfying once I'd got my eye in and found some good spots.

If you have a nice edge, under a bit of slightly overhanging bramble (you mentioned that's where they are), I would select some that are in the sun, maybe cutting back some sections to allow light in. An easy way, is to notice where they flower heavily and mark with a cane or similar. If you periodically walk past and check for the appearance of the triangular pods over the summer (they do seem to be produced over quite a long period, which is handy). To start, the pods hang down but as they swell and ripen, they become erect before finally splitting and releasing the seed - see pic of both stages.

Once they are becoming erect pick them before they split.
I then pop them into a lunchbox or similar, without a lid, but with some kitchen roll or paper over them, so the exploding pods don't shower your seed all around your house. I've often just left them to do this on a shelf in my house for a week or two. You can check them as they are drying and sift the seed out. Store in a paper bag somewhere dry and cool.

Then just sow thinly into a seed tray outdoors in the autumn and lightly covered. Keep them in a shady part of the garden and cover with glass, and keep the soil moist. It should take from one to two months for them to germinate. They do need to go through the cold temperatures of the winter in order to germinate.

If you have a lot of seed you could try sowing some directly where you want them to grow.

I hope I haven't made this sound tricky. It really isn't, and you can do this for so many of our wild flowers with the knowledge that you have the best local provenance. You will also have nice fresh seed and plenty of it.

Same for marsh violets too
Tracey

[Amy]

Dear Tracey
What a wonderful detailed reply. Thank you for going to so much trouble. It is especially useful to know they need the winter cold. I will give it a go.
Many thanks.

Update mid April- found first ever naturally regenerated marsh violet plants growing in amongst molinia tussocks. Thrilled.

[Richard Lewis]

If your habitat and management are good for these species, they will spread of their own accord. No point sowing seeds or plants if the habitat isn't just right for them. The best option to speed colonising new areas might be to grow a few plants in plugs or pots - plant them out when mature and they will spread themselves around by seed and rhizomes/stolons.

I have a small pot of marsh violets from seed collected on the moor, which I am growing on to plant in my garden, so probably not enough genetic diversity to successfully start a new colony. I also grow hairy violet, but this needs limestone soils to thrive.

[Amy]

Thank you, Richard, we do already have some dog violets, scattered along a partially shaded streamside bank. I want more, because we love the fritillaries.
There is an ongoing "negotiation" between household members here - my partner wants to encourage lots of brambles for the nesting birds, insects, and flowers for the butterflies, I want some, but I want to limit their spread, and I worry that the violets particularly, and deadnettles, are overshadowed by the brambles and could be lost. Can butterflies penetrate to the depths of a bramble thicket? I guess the answer is 'the usual': - diversify the habitat and have a range of light/shade/thick cover/thin cover.
It is encouraging to hear that you successfully germinated and grew the marsh violet. Thanks.

Update: management - I have been advised (by an expert looking at my land) to keep the nettles and other vegetation down in spring to allow light to the violets, but not to worry about it later on when the brambles come into leaf, as violets grow naturally well under bracken shade.